Phillips, Rams look to extend scoreless streak vs. Rivers

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips found a box of doughnuts at his desk on Monday morning as a reward for shutting out Arizona 34-0.

The treats have become a tradition for Phillips when his defense keeps the opposition scoreless, one that has even extended to West Sioux High School in Hawarden, Iowa, as the Falcons let Phillips know on Twitter this week after their varsity and junior varsity teams each recorded shutouts.

Earning another box of doughnuts this week will be a much more difficult task when the Rams host quarterback Philip Rivers and the Chargers on Sunday.

Phillips was the defensive coordinator in San Diego when the Chargers drafted Rivers in 2004. Now in his 14th season starting for the Chargers, Rivers is the same savvy player Phillips remembers working with in the Senior Bowl at the start of the evaluation process.

“You can’t fool him,” Phillips said Thursday. “He’s going to know what you are in, and that’s where he excels over most quarterbacks and makes him an elite quarterback.

“Any kind of blitz you run, he’ll audible to the right protection, all those things. He basically throws to the weakness of the defense on every play. He’s been doing that for a long time and he continues to do that.”

Rivers’ understanding of defenses negates some of the advantage Phillips’ tactical acumen provides and puts more pressure on Rams players to win their one-on-one matchups.

Phillips hopes his defensive front can take advantage of a Chargers offensive line that will be without right tackle Joe Barksdale because of a knee injury, allowing the secondary to keep Rivers, who has completed 73.1 percent of his passes for 680 yards and six touchdowns with one interception, in check.

While the defensive line of Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh and Michael Brockers have combined for one sack through two games, Phillips is largely pleased with how they are performing.

Phillips said the trio is creating pressure, but Cardinals quarterback Sam Bradford and Oakland’s Derek Carr were effective in throwing the ball quickly to prevent sacks.

Phillips is also getting contributions from outside linebackers Samson Ebukam, Dominique Easley and Matt Longacre. Ebukam brought down Bradford for the Rams’ second sack of the season, and Easley drew a holding penalty.

Knowing that Rivers will be more willing to test the Rams with a vertical passing game than their first two opponents, Phillips hopes his pass rush will be able to impose themselves more forcefully.

“He’s like every quarterback that gets a lot of pressure, it’s going to be tougher for him,” Phillips said. “Sometimes those windows are down the field and take some time. If we get in the right defenses where he has to throw down the field and we get some pressure, then it’s an advantage for us.”

The Rams had the edge against Arizona, limiting them to 137 yards and five first downs. The defense has not allowed a point in six consecutive quarters, but Brockers said the streak has not been a factor in their performance.

“We haven’t really focused on the ‘oh man, let’s keep them scoreless,'” Brockers said. “We just going out there to execute. If we execute the calls, coaches feel like they should get anything, and that’s what’s been happening.”

Instead, Phillips believes the quality of Rivers and the Chargers offense has been the best motivation for the Rams this week.

“I think them having such a prolific offense, it’s not as hard to say ‘these guys can really play’ because you can see it on the film,” Phillips said. “That challenge for good players and guys that want to be good players, they want to play against somebody that is a challenge. And this is going to be a huge challenge.”

If it leads to more doughnuts, Phillips will take it.

“They’re hard to come by, those zeros in this league are hard to come by,” Phillips said. “I haven’t had very many in my career, and I’ve had a long career. It’s an accomplishment, no matter who you are playing, to hold somebody to zero in this league.”

NOTES: C John Sullivan (ankle) did not practice, and Brockers (shoulder) was limited. However, coach Sean McVay expects both Sullivan and Brockers to play this week. “It’s more just maintenance with these guys,” McVay said.

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Titans CB Ryan out for season

Titans CB Ryan out for season

Tennessee Titans cornerback Logan Ryan is out for the season with a broken leg.

Ryan announced the news himself on Monday morning in a social media post shared across multiple platforms.

“I broke my left fibula and will miss the remainder of the season,” Ryan said. “I poured my heart and soul into this season so it’s unfortunate. However, anyone who knows me knows how relentlessly I will train and come back a better player with few weaknesses. I am proud of how I played, I’m proud of how my team is playing, and I’m proud I was able to walk off the field with a broken leg.”

Ryan, 27, is in his second season in Nashville after four years with the New England Patriots. He posted 76 tackles and 4.0 sacks in 2018.

Dolphins RB Gore likely done for season

Dolphins RB Gore likely done for season

Miami Dolphins running back Frank Gore is expected to miss the remainder of the season after being carted off the field in Sunday’s loss at the Minnesota Vikings with a sprained foot.

Further tests revealed the extent of the sprain, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday that the 35-year-old is not expected to play again this season.

Gore suffered the injury when he was tackled on a run in the first quarter. He was able to make it to the sidelines, but he later was carted to the locker room and left the stadium with a walking boot on his left foot.

Gore has not missed a game since 2010, when he appeared in 11 games for San Francisco.

Coming into the game, Gore had gained 708 yards on the ground this season. Before his departure Sunday, he had run for 14 yards on five carries. If Gore indeed misses the Dolphins’ final two regular season games, he will fall 154 yards short of tying Emmitt Smith’s NFL record of 13 seasons with at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage.

Rookie Kalen Ballage is expected to take the bulk of Gore’s carries in a backfield tandem with Kenyan Drake.

Gore, a Coral Gables native who starred at the University of Miami, is playing his first NFL season in South Florida after signing a one-year, $1.105 million contract during the offseason.

For his career, Gore has 3,382 regular season carries for 14,748 yards and 77 touchdowns on the ground. He also has 455 receptions for 3,796 yards and another 18 scores.

Eagles QB Foles to start vs. Texans

Eagles QB Foles to start vs. Texans

Nick Foles will make another start for the Philadelphia Eagles after leading an upset of the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, coach Doug Pederson announced Monday.

Carson Wentz remains out with a back injury but will not yet be placed on injured reserve, Pederson said of the Eagles’ approach to Week 16 against the Houston Texans.

“It will be Nick,” Pederson told the media during his Monday news conference. “Where Carson is health-wise and just another week of rest for Carson will help him. So we made the decision to go forward with Nick. We will not put Carson on IR.”

Wentz has a fractured vertebra that might require three months of rest to fully heal.

Foles finished 24 of 31 for 270 yards and an interception as the Eagles put up 30 points in a game for just the second time this season.

“After the Cowboys game, (offensive coordinator) Mike Groh and I got together and kind of wanted to condense the plan a little bit for the guys,” Pederson added. “We just kind of wanted to get back to the basics a little bit. We wanted to put together a game plan that would be conducive to anybody (starting). … As we went through the week, we gave Nick every opportunity to comment on the game plan — things he did or didn’t like — just like we would with Carson. He felt comfortable with it. Didn’t have to change much of anything.”

Foles could play his way into a healthy salary bonus and steer the Eagles into the playoffs, which seemed improbable sitting at 6-7 and facing the Rams in prime time less than 24 hours ago.

But Foles got the Eagles another huge win, and at 7-7, could also fatten his wallet.

The Super Bowl MVP’s restructured contract includes a clause that pays him an extra $250,000 for every game in which he plays at least 33 percent of the snaps, and another $250,000 if the Eagles win that game.

Steelers' Tomlin says he's confident in K Boswell

Pittsburgh brought

Steelers’ Tomlin says he’s confident in K Boswell

Pittsburgh brought in two kickers to audition to replace him last week, and he missed a 32-yard field goal on Sunday. But Chris Boswell still has Mike Tomlin’s confidence, the Steelers coach said after his team beat the New England Patriots on Sunday evening.

It helped that Boswell made a 48-yard field goal, just inside the right upright, with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter to extend the Steelers’ lead to 17-10 and force the Patriots into needing a touchdown to even have a shot at tying the game. The Patriots made it to the Pittsburgh 11-yard line before going backward on a penalty and turning the ball over on downs with 14 seconds to play.

“He’s our kicker from start to finish and I liked the way he came back and banged that next opportunity, and that is what this thing [football] is about,” Tomlin told the media in Pittsburgh following the game. “You are going to be tested, we are going to be tested, sometimes you are going to fail but you better pass enough of them.”

Including Sunday’s kicks, Boswell is 11 for 18 on field goals this season, just 61.1 percent. For his career, however, he has made 85.0 percent. Boswell also has missed five extra points in 46 attempts this season.

The kicker missed two costly field goals last Sunday as the Steelers lost to the Raiders in Oakland, a defeat that allowed the Baltimore Ravens to close to within one-half game of Pittsburgh (8-5-1) in the AFC North.

After that loss, the Steelers brought in free agent kickers Kai Forbath and Matt McCrane to, if nothing else, put pressure on Boswell. He did just that in Thursday’s practice.

Tomlin said it was foregone conclusion by Sunday that he was comfortable turning to Boswell.

“I made that decision when I walked into the stadium with him that he was our kicker and I wasn’t going to play that second-guessing game today. We evaluated that process in a very thorough manner. Prior to going into the stadium we had a great deal of comfort with the route that we chose to take.”

Foles again steps in to lead Eagles to win over Rams

Foles again steps in to lead Eagles to win over Rams

Nick Foles knows all about taking over as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and guiding his team to a victory.

Starting in place of injured Carson Wentz on Sunday night, Foles threw for 270 yards and a touchdown as the visiting Eagles (7-7) improved their playoff chances with a 30-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, who have lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

Wentz was also injured in a December game at Los Angeles last season, with Foles finishing off that victory and then guiding the Eagles to a Super Bowl title.

The Rams (11-3) looked out of sorts for the third consecutive week, ever since their dynamic 54-51 Monday night victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 19.

The Rams entered third in the NFL with 32.7 points per game, but they have averaged only 19.7 points while going 1-2 over the last three weeks.

Rams quarterback Jared Goff was 35-of-54 for 339 yards and had two more interceptions Sunday, giving him seven interceptions in consecutive games against the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears and Eagles.

Wendell Smallwood rushed for two touchdowns and Josh Adams added another on the ground as the Eagles rebounded from an overtime loss at Dallas and have won three of their last four games.

Rams running back Todd Gurley rushed for two touchdowns, to give him 17 scores on the ground this season and 21 overall.

Goff moved past the 4,000-yard mark this season, becoming just the fourth quarterback in Rams history to do so in a season.

The Rams had one last chance to tie the game, getting the ball back with 1:08 remaining at their own 43-yard line, and advanced to the Eagles’ 18 before Goff threw an incomplete pass toward the end zone as time expired.

The victory moved the Eagles a half game out of the NFC’s final playoff spot.

The Rams continue to have the second-best record in the NFC behind the New Orleans Saints, but they are now just one game ahead of the Chicago Bears. The top two teams earn a first-round bye in the playoffs.

49ers delay Seahawks' playoff party with OT win

49ers delay Seahawks’ playoff party with OT win

Robbie Gould’s fourth field goal of the day, a 36-yard kick with 3:06 remaining in overtime, gave the San Francisco 49ers a 26-23 victory over Seattle in rainy Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday afternoon, denying the Seahawks an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot.

Doug Baldwin caught two touchdown passes for Seattle (8-6), which can clinch a playoff spot with a win against Kansas City or Arizona in the next two weeks. It would be the Seahawks’ sixth playoff berth in the last seven seasons.

The win was the first for the 49ers (4-10) over their NFC West rival since December of 2013, snapping a nine-game, regular-season losing streak against Seattle.

San Francisco, which surprised Denver 20-14 last week, won its second straight.

Going for a fifth straight win, the Seahawks got the ball first in overtime but were forced to punt after a long pass from Russell Wilson to running back J.D. McKissic was called back for a holding penalty.

Aided by a pass-interference penalty, Nick Mullens drove the 49ers 44 yards in seven plays, with Gould capping his 4-for-4 day with the game-winner.

After the teams traded touchdowns for the first four scores of the game, the final 31:05 of regulation became mostly a field-goal duel between Gould and the Seahawks’ Sebastian Janikowski.

Gould connected from 28 yards in the second quarter, 33 in the third and 45 in the fourth, the final one giving the 49ers a 23-20 lead with 9:51 to go.

Janikowski, who missed a PAT after Seattle’s first touchdown of the game, came through in the slippery conditions for a game-tying field goal from 48 yards with 5:21 remaining in regulation to send the game toward overtime.

Wilson finished 23 for 31 for 237 yards and the two scores to Baldwin, a 5-yarder that opened the scoring in the first period and a 35-yard strike after Seattle had fallen behind 14-6 in the second.

Baldwin wound up with four catches for 77 yards.

Seattle’s Chris Carson, who recorded the only touchdown of the second half on a 1-yard run with 13:51 left in regulation, was the game’s leading rusher with 22 carries for 119 yards.

Mullens went 20 for 29 for 275 yards and one touchdown, a 41-yard score to tight end Garrett Celek in the second quarter.

San Francisco’s Richie James had a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to give the 49ers their first points of the game, directly following Baldwin’s first score.

Steelers' defense stops Brady to clinch win over Patriots

Steelers’ defense stops Brady to clinch win over Patriots

Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes, and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense stopped Tom Brady and the visiting New England Patriots twice in the red zone in the fourth quarter to seal a 17-10 win Sunday.

The Steelers (8-5-1) ended a three-game losing streak. New England (9-5) lost its second straight and missed a chance to clinch the AFC East title. It was Pittsburgh’s first win against New England since October of 2011, with the Patriots winning the previous five meetings (including playoffs).

Brady threw for 279 yards, including a touchdown to Chris Hogan, and one interception. Rob Gronkowski, who has been a Steelers-killer, was held to two catches for 21 yards.

Pittsburgh opened the game with an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped by Roethlisberger’s third-down 5-yard touchdown pass to McDonald.

The Patriots answered in three plays, the third one Brady’s 63-yard touchdown pass to Hogan, who caught it with no defender within 15 yards of him and easily galloped down the right sideline to make it 7-7 with 6:48 left in the first quarter.

With no runs on an eight-play, 92-yard drive, Roethlisberger guided Pittsburgh to a 14-7 lead early in the second, capped by a 17-yard scoring pass to Brown.

The drive was the first of more than 85 yards allowed by New England this season.

With 8:32 left in the third quarter, Chris Boswell missed a 32-yard field-goal attempt wide right that would have increased the Steelers’ lead to 10 points. It was the 12th missed kick by Boswell this season (seven field goals and five extra points), most in the NFL.

Stephen Gostkowski, conversely, hit his 50th straight field goal inside 40 yards when he hit a 33-yarder with 20 seconds left in the third quarter to pull New England to within 14-10.

The Patriots drove to the Pittsburgh 5 in the fourth quarter after Harmon’s second interception, but a penalty pushed them back to the 15. On third-and-goal from the 16, Joe Haden made a leaping interception of Brady at the 4 with 7:43 left, hauling it in along the sideline between Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.

The Steelers killed 5:13 off the clock by moving 66 yards in 13 plays, and Boswell redeemed himself with a 48-yard field goal to make it 17-10 with 2:30 left.

New England again drove into the red zone, reaching the Steelers’ 11 before a holding penalty moved the ball to the 21. Brady then threw three straight incompletions to end it, with Morgan Burnett sealing it by knocking down a fourth-and-15 throw to Edelman with 14 seconds remaining.

NFL notebook: Flacco expected to change uniforms in 2019

Earlier in the week, coach John Harbaugh chose rookie Lamar Jackson, who subbed for an injured Flacco the past four weeks, to start even though Flacco is recovered from the hip injury that sidelined him.

Flacco was the backup quarterback for the first time in his 11-year career when the Ravens beat the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-12 on Sunday. On the season, Flacco has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,465 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The Ravens were 4-5 when Flacco was injured. Now, with a 4-1 record under Jackson, they are 8-6 and knocking on the door of a playoff berth.

–The injury Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered in last week’s loss to Oakland apparently was worse than originally thought, but it didn’t keep him from playing in the Steelers’ 17-10 win over visiting New England.

Roethlisberger required a pain-killing injection to deal with a rib injury sustained in the second quarter last week. He returned to the game late in the fourth quarter.

Roethlisberger was 22-of-34 passing for 235 yards and had two touchdowns vs. the Patriots. He was sacked twice. The Steelers snapped a three-game losing streak, and at 8-5-1, hold a slim lead over the 8-6 Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North.

–Miami Dolphins running back Frank Gore suffered a left ankle injury against the Minnesota Vikings and did not return to the game.

Gore, who has not missed a game since 2010, suffered the injury when he was tackled on a run in the first quarter. He was able to make it to the sidelines but later was carted to the locker room.

–Green Bay running back Aaron Jones left the game against Chicago in the first half with a right knee injury and was ruled out shortly after halftime.

Jones left midway through the Packers’ second possession of the game and was seen icing his knee on the sideline.

–Chicago safety Eddie Jackson sprained his right ankle late in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ win over Green Bay, said head coach Matt Nagy, who noted the team will know more in the next 24-48 hours, but it’s unclear if Jackson will miss significant time.

Jackson was hurt while sliding to the turf after intercepting Aaron Rodgers — ending Rodgers’ NFL-record streak of 402 consecutive pass attempts without a pick — with just over three minutes left. Jackson’s ankle bent awkwardly and he was seen in a walking boot in the locker room after the game.

–Among other injuries Sunday: Bengals’ wide receiver Tyler Boyd injured his left knee and did not return in Cincinnati’s win over Oakland; Tennessee safety Kenny Vaccaro suffered a concussion during the Titans’ win over the New York Giants and did not return; and Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley also suffered a concussion vs. Cincinnati and did not return.

–Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith is out of the hospital after multiple surgeries to repair his broken right leg.

Smith underwent immediate surgery on Nov. 18 after incurring compound and spiral fractures to his tibia and fibula in the Redskins’ game against Houston and had been hospitalized since.

Head coach Jay Gruden said that Smith did not suffer any ligament damage and would face a recovery of six to eight months. However, reports earlier this month claimed an infection had led to Smith needing further surgeries and could jeopardize his chances of playing again.

–Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy and his backup, Chris Ivory, were both out for the Bills’ 14-13 win over the Detroit Lions.

McCoy hurt his hamstring in last week’s loss to the New York Jets and was listed as questionable entering the weekend. Ivory also was listed as questionable with a shoulder injury but was a full participant in practice all week.

–Former Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, fired last week, has received the seal of approval from the NFL’s career development advisory panel, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

That means the panel, comprised of former NFL head coaches and general managers, recommends him as a potential top candidate for any general manager position that comes open.

The panel is part of the league’s effort to make sure minority candidates are given strong consideration for GM and head coaching jobs.

–Chicago left tackle Charles Leno popped the question to his girlfriend, Jennifer Roth, at midfield following a win over Green Bay, which clinched the team’s first AFC North title since 2010. She said yes. Leno told reporters afterward he had intended to propose soon, but the importance of Sunday’s game accelerated his plans.

Dan Bailey added two field goals for the Vikings, who tallied 418 yards of offense and broke a two-game losing streak.

Cousins passed for 215 yards, while Cook carried 19 times for a game-high 136 yards.

Minnesota’s defense smothered the Dolphins, holding quarterback Ryan Tannehill to just 108 passing yards and the team to 193 yards of total offense.

Minkah Fitzpatrick and Kalen Ballage scored touchdowns, and Jason Sanders added a 25-yard field goal for Miami, who lost for the sixth time in seven road games.

Miami running back Frank Gore left the game in the first quarter with a foot injury. X-rays were negative, and he did not return.

The Vikings scored on their first three drives against the Dolphins to put the visitors in a quick 21-0 hole.

Cousins tossed a 13-yard pass to Diggs, Cook dashed in on a 13-yard run and Murray scampered in from 18 yards to put the NFC North’s second-place team in great position to keep their playoff hopes alive.

However, Fitzpatrick stepped in to pick off a pass from Cousins, returning the interception 50 yards, and Sanders booted a 25-yard field goal to end the first half with Minnesota up 21-10.

Following a touchback on the second-half kickoff, Ballage, a rookie running back from Arizona State, broke through the right side and outran the Minnesota defense for a 75-yard score to put the Dolphins right back in it at 21-17.

The two teams traded punts on six of the next eight series, with Bailey kicking field goals of 36 and 34 yards to give the Vikings a 27-17 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Cousins gave Minnesota plenty of breathing room when he went over the top of the Miami secondary, finding Robinson on a 40-yard strike for a 34-17 advantage.

Cook’s 21-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter rounded out the scoring.

Colts hand Cowboys shutout loss

Marlon Mack rushed 27

Colts hand Cowboys shutout loss

Marlon Mack rushed 27 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns Sunday as the Indianapolis Colts ended the Dallas Cowboys’ five-game winning streak in emphatic fashion with a 23-0 shutout at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Adam Vinatieri added three field goals for Indianapolis (8-6), which remains in contention for the AFC’s second wild-card spot. The Colts and Baltimore are tied at 8-6, a half-game ahead of Tennessee, pending the outcome of its game at the New York Giants.

Dallas (8-6) could have wrapped up the NFC East title with a win but will have to wait for a Week 16 home game with Tampa Bay. The Cowboys were shut out for the first time since Nov. 16, 2003, when they fell 12-0 at New England.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed 18 times for 87 yards for Dallas, but quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper were kept in check by Indianapolis’ defense. Cooper caught only four passes on seven targets for 32 yards, while Prescott was 24 of 39 for 206 yards and a late interception.

Mack put the Colts ahead 7-0 with 6:09 left in the first quarter on a 1-yard scoring run, capping a 44-yard, eight-play drive. That came after the Cowboys’ Brett Maher had a 48-yard field goal blocked and recovered by Darius Leonard at the Dallas 44. Leonard’s return for a touchdown was overturned on replay review.

Vinatieri converted a 43-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the half for a 10-0 halftime advantage. Indianapolis made it 17-0 on the first drive of the second half, Mack rushing 6 yards to cap a 75-yard march at the 11:23 mark of the third quarter.

Vinatieri added 44- and 23-yard field goals to cap the scoring. The Colts’ defense limited Dallas to 292 total yards and notched three sacks of Prescott. The Cowboys also hurt themselves with nine penalties for 74 yards.

Trubisky-led Bears beat Packers to clinch division

Mitchell Trubisky completed

Trubisky-led Bears beat Packers to clinch division

Mitchell Trubisky completed 20 of 28 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns, and the Chicago Bears clinched their first NFC North division title since 2010 with a 24-17 win over the visiting Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon.

Tarik Cohen and Trey Burton each hauled in touchdowns for the Bears, and Jordan Howard scored on the ground. Chicago (10-4) snapped a five-game skid against Green Bay and clinched its first division crown at home since 2006.

Aaron Rodgers completed 25 of 42 passes for 274 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Jamaal Williams scored the lone touchdown for Green Bay (5-8-1), which dropped to 1-1 under interim head coach Joe Philbin and was eliminated from postseason contention.

Chicago scored the go-ahead touchdown to make it 21-14 with 10:16 left in the fourth quarter. Trubisky fired a spiral toward the left side of the end zone for Burton, who hauled in the 13-yard pass for his career-high sixth touchdown.

A 24-yard field goal by Cody Parkey increased the Bears’ lead to 24-14 with 6:43 to play.

Packers kicker Mason Crosby trimmed the deficit to 24-17 with a 45-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining. However, Chicago recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.

Green Bay erased an 11-point halftime deficit and evened the score at 14 with 4:10 to go in the third quarter. As starting running back Aaron Jones watched from the sideline with an ice pack on his right knee, Williams rushed for a 10-yard touchdown. Rodgers found Davante Adams for a two-point conversion moments later.

Chicago opened the scoring with 2:08 left in the first quarter. Howard sprinted 9 yards up the middle for his sixth rushing touchdown of the season and his first since Nov. 4.

Green Bay pulled within 7-3 on a 41-yard field goal by Crosby with 7:27 remaining in the second quarter.

The Bears made it 14-3 with 30 seconds left before halftime. Trubisky fired a short pass to Cohen, who sprinted toward the end zone and switched the ball from his right hand to his left hand as he was being shoved out of bounds. The ball crossed over the front pylon for Cohen’s fifth receiving touchdown this season and seventh score overall.

A 43-yarder by Crosby sliced Green Bay’s deficit to 14-6 with 9:26 remaining in the third quarter.

Edwards helps Ravens dispatch Bucs, 20-12

Edwards helps Ravens dispatch Bucs, 20-12

Gus Edwards rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, and the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-12 on a cold and rainy Sunday in Baltimore.

The Ravens (8-6) remain in control of the second AFC wild-card spot and in contention for the AFC North crown.

Baltimore rushed for 242 yards to become the first team since the 1976 Steelers with five straight games with 190 or more rushing yards. Edwards carried 19 times in his third 100-yard game of the season.

Lamar Jackson ran for 95 yards and completed 14 of 23 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown.

Jameis Winston completed 13 of 25 passes for 157 yards and one interception for Tampa Bay (5-9). Peyton Barber rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown. Mike Evans had four catches for 121 yards.

The Ravens took the second-half kickoff and quickly increased their 10-9 lead to 17-9. Jackson completed a pass for 17 yards and had runs of 14 yards and 22 yards, the latter to the 16-yard line. Two plays later, Edwards scored from 10 yards out.

Trailing 20-12 in the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay drove to the Baltimore 33, but Winston’s pass was incomplete on fourth-and-4 with 7:12 remaining.

Baltimore took over and ran the ball 12 straight times for 57 yards to run out the clock.

The game began in a driving rain that slowed both offenses.

Late in the first quarter, Jackson fumbled an exchange with Edwards, and the ball was recovered at the Tampa Bay 49 by Lavonte David. Winston soon passed to Evans for 23 yards, and Peyton Barber scored from 3 yards out, but the point-after attempt failed.

The Ravens immediately answered with a 16-play, 73-yard drive that ended when Jackson and Chris Moore combined for a 5-yard touchdown on a shovel pass.

Redskins score as time expires, defeat Jaguars

In a game

Redskins score as time expires, defeat Jaguars

In a game lacking offense, the visiting Washington Redskins put together two late scoring drives and got a Dustin Hopkins field goal as time expired to earn a 16-13 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The win ended a four-game losing streak for Washington (7-7) and keeps the Redskins alive in the NFC playoff picture.

In his first NFL start since 2011, Redskins quarterback Josh Johnson was 16-of-25 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown. He led a 68-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 13 when he hit Jeremy Sprinkle on a 6-yard TD pass.

Washington got the ball back six plays later when Fabian Moreau intercepted Jaguars quarterback Cody Kessler at the Redskins’ 29-yard line and returned it to the Washington 45 with 2:41 to play.

Johnson then drove the Redskins to the Jaguars’ 19-yard line, and Hopkins delivered his 36-yard field goal to win the game.

Kessler had just 57 yards passing, competing 9 of 17 attempts, as the Jaguars (4-10) lost for the ninth time in the past 10 games. Kessler had 68 rushing yards on six carries. The Jaguars had just 192 yards of total offense.

The Jaguars’ only touchdown came on special teams when Dede Westbrook scored on a 74-yard punt return just four seconds before halftime. It gave Jacksonville a lead that lasted until the Redskins tied it on Johnson’s only TD pass with 5:47 left in the game.

The Redskins finished with 245 yards of total offense against a strong Jaguars defense after collecting just 74 yards in the first half.

Hopkins also had a 33-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 46-yard field goal to give the Redskins a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Jaguars kicker Kai Forbath had field goals of 41 and 33 yards.

After opening the season 6-3, the Redskins were able to halt their freefall and get back to .500. Washington’s struggles grew after quarterbacks Alex Smith and Colt McCoy saw their seasons end with leg injuries and Mark Sanchez was ineffective.

The Redskins four-game skid was their longest since 2012. The Jaguars finished the home portion of their schedule at 3-5.

Falcons roll to easy win over Cardinals

Falcons roll to easy win over Cardinals

Linebacker Deion Jones began a 26-point first-half outburst with a 41-yard interception return for touchdown and the Atlanta Falcons ended their five-game losing streak with a 40-14 win over the visiting Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

With the Falcons trailing 7-0, Jones snagged an errant Josh Rosen pass and returned it for a score and sparked Atlanta to a 26-7 halftime lead. Atlanta, which began the day with only 11 takeaways, got two others on Brian Poole’s interception and Grady Jarrett’s strip sack, one of six sacks on the day.

Atlanta (5-9) was led by quarterback Matt Ryan, who was 22-for-36 for 231 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran three times for 18 yards and one touchdown.

The Falcons found their long-lost running game. Tailback Tevin Coleman rushed 11 times for a career-best 145 yards and one touchdown. He had a career-long 65-yard run.

Ryan connected with seven different receivers, with Julio Jones catching six passes for 82 yard and one touchdown and Calvin Ridley grabbing five passes for 42 yards.

Rosen suffered a long afternoon. The rookie was 13-for-22 for 132 yards and two interceptions. He was lifted midway in the fourth quarter for backup Mike Glennon.

Arizona (3-11) had trouble moving the ball all day. David Johnson led the team with 33 yards rushing on 11 carries. Larry Fitzgerald caught seven passes for 82 yards.

Arizona scored first, finishing an eight-play drive with Johnson’s 1-yard run and forced the Falcons to go three-and-out on the ensuing possession.

That’s when the momentum quickly switched to the Atlanta side. On the second play of the drive, Rosen fired a pass in the right flat that was intended for Johnson. But Jones came up with the interception and went 41 yards for a touchdown.

From that point it was all Atlanta. The Falcons added a 22-yard field goal from Matt Bryant, a 1-yard run by Ryan, a 33-yard field goal by Bryant and 21-yard pass from Ryan to Julio Jones for a 26-7 halftime lead.

The Falcons tacked on a touchdown on a 43-yard run from Coleman and a 5-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Justin Hardy in the second half.

The Cardinals scored with 3:14 left when Glennon threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield.

Allen, Bills squeak by Lions, 14-13

Allen, Bills squeak by Lions, 14-13

Josh Allen threw for 204 yards with a touchdown pass and a scoring run to lead the Buffalo Bills in a 14-13 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Orchard Park, N.Y.

The Bills rookie quarterback completed 13 of 26 passes without a turnover and notched his second fourth-quarter comeback. He gained 16 yards on nine carries, giving him 351 rushing yards over his past four games.

Robert Foster caught four passes for 108 yards and the go-ahead touchdown as the Bills (5-9) snapped a two-game losing streak. The undrafted rookie has surpassed 100 receiving yards in three of five games since being called up from the practice squad.

Matt Stafford threw for 208 yards and a touchdown, Kenny Golladay caught seven passes for a career-high 146 yards, Theo Riddick rushed for 47 yards and Zach Zenner contributed for 45 yards and a rushing touchdown, as Detroit (5-9) lost for the third time in four games and was officially eliminated from playoff contention.

The Bills’ rushing attack — ineffective for most of the season outside of Allen’s scrambles — was further depleted by injury.

Marcus Murphy rushed for 35 yards in the first half before leaving with an arm injury, and practice-squad call-up Keith Ford (46 yards) missed time in the third quarter after hurting his leg. Buffalo was already without Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy (hamstring) and primary backup Chris Ivory (shoulder).

Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie returned after being carted off the field with a non-contact leg injury sustained on a punt return in the third quarter and finished with career highs in receptions (six) and yards (53).

Allen’s 42-yard touchdown pass to Foster put the Bills ahead with 10:26 left in the fourth quarter.

Matt Prater missed a 48-yard field goal attempt for the Lions with 5:50 remaining. The Lions also squandered a point following their first touchdown drive when a bad snap forced holder Sam Martin to throw the ball away.

Detroit led 13-7 at halftime after scoring touchdowns on consecutive drives in the second quarter.

Golladay exceeded his previous career high with 115 receiving yards in the first half. He hauled in a 31-yard pass on the first play of a 75-yard drive that ended with Stafford’s 4-yard scoring pass to Andy Jones. On Detroit’s next series, Golladay wrestled a near interception away from Bills cornerback Levi Wallace for a 24-yard gain and caught a 40-yard pass to set up Zenner’s 1-yard touchdown plunge.

Buffalo took a brief 7-6 lead midway through the second quarter when Allen sprinted to the pylon for a 3-yard score to cap an 87-yard drive.

Henry dominates as Titans shut out Giants

Henry dominates as Titans shut out Giants

Derrick Henry followed up a record-setting performance Sunday afternoon by gaining 170 yards and scoring on a pair of short touchdown runs, as the Tennessee Titans recorded a 17-0 victory over the New York Giants in East Rutherford, N.J., who were eliminated from postseason contention.

A week after setting a franchise record with 238 yards in a Thursday night game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Henry recorded his second 100-yard game of the season and fourth of his career as the Titans emphasized the run while playing through a driving rainstorm.

Henry scored on a fourth-and-goal with 2:43 left in the first quarter, and then scored again with 2:20 remaining in the third. Henry’s 11th rushing touchdown of the season occurred shortly after the Titans forced a turnover.

On third-and-10 with 5:16 remaining in the third, Eli Manning was strip-sacked by Kamalei Correa, and Jurrell Casey recovered it to give Tennessee the ball at the Giants’ 14.

Henry’s second-most productive day of his three-year career helped the Titans (8-6) win their third straight game. Tennesee entered the game as one of four 7-6 teams vying for the sixth seed along with Baltimore, Miami, and Indianapolis. Baltimore and Indianapolis also won, while Miami lost.

Henry set a career-high with 33 carries and has 408 yards in his last two games. He also became the sixth player in franchise history to total at least 10 rushing touchdowns in a season.

Marcus Mariota spent most of the game handing it off the Henry, finishing 12-of-20 passing for 88 yards.

Ryan Succop added a 22-yard field goal with 5:06 remaining in the game after missing a 48-yard field-goal attempt in the opening quarter.

The Titans maintained a one-sided advantage in possession, holding the ball for 35:21. They converted 14 of 22 first downs on the ground, went 5 for 14 on third downs and posted their first shutout since Dec. 25, 2000, against Dallas.

Manning finished 21-of-44 passing for 244 yards and an interception. Rookie Saquon Barkley was held to 31 yards on 14 carries and recorded his second-lowest rushing total of the year after four consecutive 100-yard games.

The Giants (5-9) had won four of their last five games but could never develop a consistent rhythm while playing without Odell Beckham Jr., who missed his second straight game with a quadriceps injury. New York was shut out at home for the first time since Dec. 15, 2013 against Seattle.

Packers RB Jones (knee) ruled out

Packers RB Jones (knee) ruled out

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones left Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears in the first half with a right knee injury and was ruled out.

Jones left midway through the Packers’ second possession of the game and was seen icing his knee on the sideline. The team ruled him out shortly after halftime.

The second-year back had four carries for 8 yards before departing. He entered Sunday as the Packers’ leading rusher with 720 yards and eight touchdowns on the season, and he had scored in five straight games.

Jones also entered ranking second in the NFL with 5.58 yards per carry this season.

Jamaal Williams, the only other active running back on the team’s roster Sunday, took over and scored on a 10-yard carry in the third quarter.

Bears S Jackson sprains ankle, status unclear

Bears S Jackson sprains ankle, status unclear

Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson sprained his right ankle late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers, head coach Matt Nagy told reporters.

Nagy added that the team will know more in the next 24-48 hours, but it’s unclear if Jackson will miss significant time. With the win, the Bears officially wrapped up the NFC North title, but they still appear unlikely to claim a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Jackson was hurt while sliding to the turf after intercepting Aaron Rodgers — ending Rodgers’ NFL-record streak of 402 consecutive pass attempts without an pick — with just over three minutes left and the Bears leading by 10. Jackson’s ankle bent awkwardly and he was seen in a walking boot in the locker room after the game.

Jackson, 26, had been questionable for Sunday’s game after missing Friday’s practice with a shin injury.

The second-year man has five interceptions, 13 passes defensed and three defensive touchdowns (two on interception returns, one on a fumble return) this season as a key part of the Bears’ defense.

Jackson has seven interceptions and five defensive touchdowns in 29 career games.

Bengals end 5-game losing streak with win over Raiders

Bengals end 5-game losing streak with win over Raiders

Joe Mixon ran for two touchdowns and Cincinnati converted two fourth-down conversions that led to two first-half touchdowns, and the Bengals defeated the Oakland Raiders 30-16 on Sunday in the Bengals’ final home game of the season, and perhaps Marvin Lewis’ final home game as head coach.

Rumors have circulated for weeks that Lewis’ 16th season as head coach of the Bengals will be his last. The Bengals have been hurt by injuries and have 14 players on injured reserve.

That mattered little on Sunday.

After trailing by 17 in the first half, the Raiders got within one score in the fourth quarter, but Cincinnati answered the challenge.

Daniel Carlson’s 40-yard field goal with 5:09 left made the score 23-16 and gave the Raiders momentum.

Cincinnati’s Alex Ericson returned the ensuing kickoff 77 yards. Two plays later, Mixon scampered off the right end to clinch for a 15-yard score to clinch the win for the Bengals.

The Bengals (6-8) played inspired ball as they snapped a five-game skid. In addition to the normally conservative Lewis gambling on fourth down, the Bengals harassed Oakland quarterback Derek Carr, sacking him five times and recovering two fumbles.

The Raiders (3-11) couldn’t get their offense untracked. In their first five possessions, they punted three times and fumbled twice. Not having his starting guards Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson didn’t help Carr.

Carr finally got the offense revved up on the Raiders’ sixth possession. He completed 4 of 4 passes for 73 yards and got the Raiders on the board with a 1-yard lob to tight end Lee Smith.

On the touchdown to Smith, Carr set a new Raiders’ record for consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception at 278.

The Bengals started their next drive inside Oakland territory for the third time in the half after the kickoff and a penalty. The drive stalled and Randy Bullock, on his birthday, connected on a 38-yard field goal.

Cincinnati quarterback Jeff Driskel was making just his third NFL start in place of Andy Dalton, who tore a thumb ligament against Cleveland in Week 11. Driskel completed only 14 of 33 attempts for 130 yards and one touchdown.